Bribes in Mexico–a follow-up

by zora on October 30, 2009

OK–now I’ve been alerted that cops taking your license is _not_ legit, apparently. So scratch that in the earlier post.

And, more important, some car-rental agencies in Cancun are starting to offer vouchers that you can give to cops if you receive a traffic ticket. You then pay the ticket at the agency when you return the car, rather than going to the police station or city hall to pay the ticket.

I think this is a brilliant system, because it shows a cop that you’re aware of the system, and you have a solution. And the vouchers clearly say “Paying an officer is a federal offense”–the Mexican government knows “it takes two” to create corruption, and there’s no reason tourists should play along.

Of course, you can also just play dumb and polite and probably get away without a ticket at all. But that’s your call… The important thing is not to fork over any cash!